


Lull

by ConceptaDecency



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Family, Fluff, M/M, Spooning, Tenderness, USS Defiant NX-74205 (Star Trek), sleeping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-02-26 18:55:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18722959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConceptaDecency/pseuds/ConceptaDecency
Summary: Miles would really rather not have seen what he's seen. But he finds himself on Garak's side.





	1. Chapter 1

"What the fuck are you doing here?" It's immediately obvious that he shouldn't have said it, not those words and not in that tone, and certainly not at such a considerable volume, but who could blame him for being taken aback when he's walked into the quarters he shares with Julian to get a fresh uniform, his current one charred from an encounter with a sparky isomateron coil, and seen that sly fecker hiding behind Julian on the bed in the dark? Okay, not exactly hiding, but with the way the bunks on the Defiant are set into the wall, and him there, sinister, curled up behind Julian like an assassin in his lair, scarcely visible except for one arm wrapped over Julian's and one gray scaly hand trapping Julian's wrist to his chest, how is Miles supposed to react? He knows Julian considers Garak a friend, and as unwise and naive as that is, Miles has accepted it at this point. More or less. But he still doesn't trust Garak much, so seeing him here, lurking, and Julian in such a vulnerable position is...unsettling. And made more so by the fact that the cold blue eyes are blinking at him glassily. Like _Miles_ is the interloper. 

"Chief," Garak says, hushed but polite, as if responding to a friendly 'hello'. "Would you mind keeping your voice down?"

"Sorry," Miles whispers, annoyed, as he realises Garak is in the right. As his vision adjusts to the dark, Miles can see that Julian is on his side, eyes closed, ribs slowly rising and falling in deep sleep. And, thank Christ, he’s still in his uniform, down to the boots. Thank bloody Christ, because Garak is lying behind Julian, their bodies pressed chest to back, legs curled up together, like lovers. It’s exactly the way Miles and Keiko sometimes fall asleep together in their bed at home on the station. An intimate position to be sure, but if Garak and Julian are clothed at least he hasn't interrupted something far more private.

He feels an unexpected pang. After more than a month on the Defiant, and no end in sight, God he misses Keiko. Her softness, her patience with the kids, her fond wisecracks. Her soothing words when she knows something is bothering him, even if he can't put his finger on exactly what himself. The smell of her hair when she's the little spoon and he holds her in bed. Not unlike the way Garak is holding Julian. 

Not, of course, that whatever's going on here is anything like what he has with Keiko. But he's long suspected Garak would have preferred to be more than friends with Julian. Although who can be sure with Cardassians, especially that Cardassian. In any case, as far as Miles is aware nothing's ever come of it. Maybe Julian isn’t interested, or maybe he's (uncharacteristically) heeded Miles' warning that Garak is not someone to get _that_ close to. Or maybe the time just hasn't been right. 

Although it sure as hell looks like something is developing now. 

And...much as it's a bad, bad, _terrible_ decision on Julian's part, Miles has to admit that he can’t begrudge either of them someone to hold on to right now. Personally, even though he loves Julian like a brother, he'd trade his narrow bunk and eejit roommate for his family bed and Keiko and the kids in a heartbeat, if he could.

But, still, it is a bit strange that Julian is sleeping fully clothed with his boots on.

"Em. Is he okay?" Miles indicates Julian with a thrust of his chin. 

"He'll be fine after he's had some rest," Garak says calmly. He raises his eye ridges at Miles. _And your presence isn't helping_ is the clear implication.

"Ah. I'll...change my uniform and go." Feck. If Garak wasn’t here he’d just change in the room, but he supposes it will have to be in the tiny bathroom. With Garak's glare boring holes in his back, Miles turns to his locker and clicks it open as quietly as he can. 

Not quietly enough. Julian's soft breathing has been regular until this point, but now he snorts and swallows with a threatening restlessness. 

Immediately, Garak’s attention is on Julian. He rubs Julian’s arm with a surprising gentleness and emits soft susurrations, his alien sounds strangely soothing even to Miles' admittedly biased ears. Julian's breathing soon falls back into an even rhythm. With a final sibilant murmur into the nape of Julian’s neck, Garak brings his eyes back up to meet Miles'. His expression is scolding and his message is clear: _do what you must do, and get out_.

Miles can feel his face burning, and hopes Garak can't see it in the dark. He feels...not dirty, but as if he is witnessing something that he really oughtn't. Whether it's the fact that Julian has clearly allowed himself to fall asleep in Garak's arms, or the tailor’s unexpected tenderness, or something else, he doesn't know or frankly care, but aside from the fact that he's interrupting Julian's clearly much-needed rest, Miles shouldn't be here. 

He yanks a folded uniform from the shelf, hoping it isn't the one that's slightly too short in the legs, and, taking care to close but not latch the locker door, slips into the bathroom. Mentally cursing the jumpsuit design -- it's clear the people who approve these uniforms never have to put the damn things on in straitened circumstances -- he changes as swiftly and with as little rustling as possible, and with nowhere else to put it, drapes the burnt one over the sonic shower. "Lights out," he says under his breath, so the light won’t bother Julian when the door opens, and takes a moment to let his eyes adjust before leaving.

Soft, muffled speech from the other side of the door stops him.

"...just Chief O'Brien, my dear. He needed something in the bathroom. It's nothing to worry about." Garak's voice is hushed and pacifying. Like Keiko's in the night when Molly has a bad dream.

"I should get back to Sick Bay, Garak." A shuffling sound. "Come on, let me up." Damn. Julian's on his way to being wide awake, to judge from his voice. 

"Oh no you don't, Doctor. A deal is a deal. You sleep for an hour, I submit to that physical you've been tormenting me about." The soft lulling tranquility never leaves Garak’s voice.

"It must have been an hour by now."

"Pshaw. It's barely been twenty minutes. Now, eyes closed." Even when giving orders, Garak maintains the placid, almost soporific tone. He's nearly got Miles yawning.

"You liar. It's been forty-two minutes. And twenty-eight seconds." Julian's admonishment is fond.

"Hmmmmmm. Has it? Perhaps I miscalculated when I converted from Cardassian Standard timekeeping." Garak sighs as if the very thought of recalculating exhausts him. 

"Mmmhmmmm. I don't think that's it." This is punctuated by a yawn.

"Nonetheless, you owe me another eighteen minutes before I'll even consider letting you scan me with those dreadful machines, my dear. So, eyes closed, please."

"Seventeen minutes and thirty-two seconds."

"Are your eyes closed, Doctor?" Garak is calm but stern.

"Yes, _mother_."

"That would be a high compliment in Kardasi, so I will assume it’s the same in Federation Standard. Now sleep."

"Okay..." Another yawn.

For what feels like a lifetime, Miles doesn't dare move. He counts out the deep thrums of the Defiant's systems, one...two...three...all the way to fifty, waiting until the silence from the other side of door has stretched long enough that Julian surely must have fallen back to sleep. It normally takes little Yoshi a few minutes when he wakes in the night, and Molly only a bit longer. How long does it take an exhausted adult? Probably longer than a child. Miles decides to count another fifty. 

After an eternity of feeling like a complete fool for standing stock still in the dark, afraid of waking a grown man and irritating a Cardassian he's not too fond of anyway, Miles takes a step towards the door. Julian's got to be safely asleep by now, and if he isn't, well, he's not going to be, is he? Right. He isn't.

"Garak, this position’s not working. My arm's falling asleep."

Miles starts back from the door as if it’s on fire. Feck. Half a second sooner and he'd have opened it. Well, he could just go now, couldn't he? Maybe he should. Julian's awake anyway. He wouldn't be disturbing him. They can say hello, Miles can go back to inspecting the isomateron coils and Julian to sleep, and that'll be that. Except...it would be absolutely mortifying to converse with Julian while he's cuddled up with his smug little friend, who'd probably be silently enjoying the hell out of Miles’ discomfort. No, better to stay here until Julian's asleep and then make his exit as stealthily as possible. And hopefully never, ever talk to Julian about it. Unless Keiko says he should. He'll message her later and see what she thinks.

"How is it that your arm can fall asleep and not take the rest of you along with it?" 

_Wrong thing to say_ , Miles thinks. _Come on, Garak, you know better than to ask him things like that if you want him to go to sleep_.

"Oh! Well, it's actually quite interesting..."

"I'm sure it is, my dear." Garak yawns. "How about you tell me tomorrow over breakfast?"

"Are you trying to trick me into sleeping until breakfast?"

"I would never. I'm trying to trick you into eating breakfast." Julian laughs and there's creaking as they shift in the bunk. "Is this more comfortable?"

"Yes, much better."

"Good. Now, Doctor, will you reconsider taking your boots off?”

"I need to be ready in case they call me into Sick Bay."

"Very well. But I'm adding thirty minutes for every time you kick me in your sleep." 

"Mmmmm. Fair. I don't kick." Julian’s words are thick and slurred, just like Molly's when she's about to drop off.

"So you say."

"Garak? No lying and saying I did and making me sleep longer." Miles realises Garak's game, and what's more, that he's on Garak's side. Julian may not kick, but the eejit needs more rest than he's allowing himself, and in Garak's place, Miles would definitely fabricate a couple of bruised shins.

"Heaven forfend. Close your eyes, Doctor." Garak's voice is like a sedative. 

"They are."

"Goodnight, Julian."

"Goodnight, Garak."

Silence falls. Miles begins counting out the Defiant's thrums again. He'll go for two hundred, he supposes, just to be safe. It's a good thing the isomateron coils aren't going anywhere tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Keiko's going to insist that Miles talk to Julian the next day, don't you?
> 
> Your lovely comments and kudos help me sleep at night!


	2. Chapter 2

Miles makes sure to waylay Julian at a time when the mess hall is empty. He really doesn't want to have this conversation, but Keiko's insisted. And he supposes it is better for Julian, if he's going to get involved with someone as shady as Garak, that he's got a friend to talk to about it. 

"Morning," he says, setting his coffee down next to Julian's scone. It's not really morning for Miles. He and Julian have opposite shifts at the moment, so while Julian is just beginning his day, Miles will be turning in soon. 

"Good morning." There's a brightness in Julian's eye, and he looks better than he has in a while. Garak’s obviously managed to deceive, cajole, or trick him into a decent night’s sleep. Miles wonders how awful _he_ looks. Fatigue can start to feel normal surprisingly quickly. 

"Where's Garak?" He'd expected them to be eating breakfast together, from the conversation last night. But this could be a good thing, he decides. He's got to eat dinner anyway, so if Julian's having breakfast alone he may as well join him at the table. It would be better to get something substantial into himself before he has to have this talk, anyway. 

"Emmm." Julian looks away. He knows Miles means something by the question. "He's coming along in a few minutes. He had to stop by his quarters to change. You're welcome to join us." Julian's a bad liar and it's clearly an insincere offer.

Well. So much for that. He'd better get this out now so he can leave before Garak shows up. The man still makes his skin crawl and he's no desire to share a meal with them right now. Not any time, really, but he definitely doesn't want to be the third wheel after what he's overheard. 

Miles picks up his coffee again. "Thanks, Julian, but I'm wrecked. I'll just eat something in our quarters." He takes a long sip before continuing. "Emmmm. Julian. About Garak. And you." _Eloquent, Miles_.

Julian is fixated on his plate. He chews a bite of scone thoroughly and swallows. "Oh. Yes. He told me you came by while I was sleeping..."

"Yeah. About that. Julian, it’s not my place to say anything...”

Julian flushes and looks sheepish. “I’m sorry, Miles. I know it wasn’t on, having Garak there. Especially without asking you first. You have every right to be annoyed. But if I can just explain...”

"Julian, relax." Feck, this is the exact opposite of what he’d intended. "I'm not annoyed." 

Julian blinks. "You're not?"

"Jaysus, of course not. I mean, I wasn't exactly _delighted_ to see him in our quarters, but...listen. If you want to...get closer to Garak, I think you should."

"You do?" Julian's tilted his head and furrowed his brow. 

"Yeah, I guess so. I mean, anything could happen out here." Miles gestures vaguely with his mug. "With the war, I mean. If you like each other, you shouldn't wait."

"Oh. Um. Thanks, Miles. Really. I know you don't like him very much."

"He's..." Miles begins, intending to end with 'grand' or 'fine', but he can't lie. "No, Julian, I don't, frankly. But Keiko does, and you do, and he seems to care about you. So..." That's enough, really, isn't it? Message transmitted and received? 

"Oh. Well, thanks." Julian smiles. “Actually, I wasn't going to tell you." Oh Christ, what's this? "Not yet. But. We actually sort of...messed around a bit, after I woke up. Just kissing! And a bit of, um, Cardassian kissing." Julian's eyes have widened and he is reassuring, and Miles realises he must have let on more dismay than he meant to with his facial expression. 

"Oh, grand, so," he says, and steps away before Julian can enlighten him as to what 'Cardassian kissing' entails. "I'll see you later, then."

"See you later."

Miles is walking away and it occurs to him. Does he need to...? Well, better safe than sorry with Julian. 

"Julian," he begins, turning.

"Yes?"

"Just, give me a heads up when you’re going to have Garak in our quarters from now on, will you?" They can do whatever they want as long as Miles isn't present, but he's no desire to walk in on any 'Cardassian kissing'. Or worse.

"Oh! Yes, of course, Miles. I'm sorry about last night. It was a bit of an unusual situation, and..."

Yeah, obviously. But it looks like it won’t be such an unusual situation anymore. It’s grand, though. He should probably stash a spare uniform and a few necessities behind one of the engineering panels to avoid a repeat of last night, but while they’re on opposing shifts there’s not too much risk of his interrupting Julian while he’s 'entertaining'. Not now he and Julian have an understanding, anyway. Miles supposes they’ll have to work something else out when the shift roster changes, but that’s a task for another day.

"It's fine, Julian. Forget about last night.”

“Ok. Miles,”

“Yeah?” Now what?

“Thanks.” Julian’s grinning like a fool. “It means a lot.” 

That’s enough of that. “Don’t be daft, Julian. You don’t need my blessing.” Miles rounds and makes for the door, sloshing his coffee a bit in his haste. “Just make sure you get some decent sleep tonight.”

“I will.” The delight in Julian’s voice is evident. “And Miles?” he calls. “I prepared a caffeine suppressant hypo for you. It’s on your pillow. Make sure you take the full dose.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one ever takes care of Miles, so I wrote it in. 
> 
> I love your comments and kudos! 
> 
> And don't forget about the [Deadly Sins Garak/Bashir Fan Fest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Deadly_Sins_Garak_Bashir_Fan_Fest)! It would be great to make this a success!


End file.
